Community

ACRE

All members of Mid-South Synergy have the opportunity to contribute to A.C.R.E. or the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE), the political action committee of the nations electric cooperatives through the Co-op Owners for Political Action program.

The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE®) is the federal Political Action Committee (PAC) of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Founded in 1966 by approximately 1,000 consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives of NRECA, ACRE supports candidates for the U.S. House and Senate- those in office now and running for office-who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumer-owners. It operates under the guidelines and policies of a board of directors composed of electric cooperative leaders from around the state. The membership also consists of co-op members who help defend their local electric cooperative and care enough to contribute to the progress and growth of their cooperative and the communities it serves.

What is a PAC?The law allows individuals with common interests to pool their resources using 329 PACs in order to make political contributions to candidates for state and federal office. Candidates who receive a substantial contribution get an important message about the members in their local community’s electric cooperative. The candidate knows that the electric cooperative member/owners and employees who support them want to elect individuals to office who will make good policy decisions on their behalf.

Who Determines How Contributions are Made?ACRE follows established procedures for making contributions to candidates running for political office.

Factors that determine financial support include:

• the candidate’s position on issues critical to electric cooperatives;• their votes and public statements on these issues;• the candidate’s financial need and the strength of his or her opponent• the candidate’s political affiliation is never taken into account

How Do I Make a Difference?The dedication of members to standing together forms the backbone of ACRE. This powerful grassroots effort promotes policies to secure the future of the electric cooperative, its employees, and the families they serve. This is an opportunity to make a huge difference. Joining ACRE is an easy way for electric cooperative members to stay informed on important issues, play an active role as citizens and take part in making sure that their cooperatives voice remains strong at the national and the state level.

Become a Rural Friends Member

To continue promoting policies that protect electric cooperatives, Rural Friends/ACRE needs the support of members like you. If you would like to enroll in and contribute to the program, print out, complete, and mail the form below.